City Planning Commission, August 25, 2026
Votes on Data center CZO text amendment (zoning docket 036-26), unanimous
What happened
The New Orleans City Planning Commission deferred zoning docket 036-26 — a City Council-initiated text amendment to the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance defining and regulating data centers — for 59 days on a unanimous vote, despite a staff recommendation of approval.
- Jurisdiction
- New Orleans, LA
- Governing body
- Advisory (makes a recommendation)
- Date
- August 25, 2026
- Decisions
- 4 zoning decisions
- Outcome
- Deferred, unanimous
Projects in this meeting (1)
A project bundles every related decision, across hearingsSubdivision ratifications
RecommendedFree sample: decision 1 of 4
Data center CZO text amendment (zoning docket 036-26)
City Council-initiated text amendment to the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance to define data centers and related uses and set use/design standards. Staff proposed four categories (accessory, small, medium, large/hyperscale); large/hyperscale prohibited citywide; small/medium conditionally allowed in specified C, industrial, and CBD districts with 500-foot buffers from residential and from each other, on-site power generation prohibited except backup. ENONAC requested a 60-day deferral citing inadequate notice and community input. Commission voted to defer for 59 days with instructions for staff to address water usage standards, larger buffers, public disclosure of application data, enforcement, closed-loop cooling, cumulative utility limits, and decommissioning. Deadline for consideration is October 23rd. Vote was unanimous (7-0).
- Community input to be involved in the final report
- staff to explore utility review standards, monitoring/reporting, enforcement mechanisms, closed-loop cooling, cumulative citywide utility limits, backup power standards, decommissioning/site restoration, emergency shutdown requirements, water usage thresholds, larger residential buffers, public disclosure of application data
The other decisions are listed below by title. The full write-up, verbatim conditions, and the audio at each vote are in Pro.
Meeting Summary
The New Orleans City Planning Commission deferred zoning docket 036-26 — a City Council-initiated text amendment to the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance defining and regulating data centers — for 59 days on a unanimous vote, despite a staff recommendation of approval.
Key Decisions (4)
Data center CZO text amendment (zoning docket 036-26)
Amendment to Capital Improvement Plan - eight additional requests
2027-2031 Capital Improvement Plan
Subdivision ratifications
Market Signals (4)
Infrastructure
New Orleans' aging water and power infrastructure (10 boil-water advisories…
Commercial Demand
The city is moving to prohibit large/hyperscale data centers citywide…
Sentiment
Strong, organized community opposition to data centers of any size,…
Infrastructure
The city is beginning to require Sewerage & Water Board…
Who Spoke (20)
On the record: a commissioner, a staff member, and 8 members of the public.
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